WrestleMania Woe-kend
by Magic Malcolm
Summary: WrestleMania Weekend should have been the biggest event of their professional careers, so many moments to savour and precious memories to create...so why are so many people feeling down on the big day? Can their problems be solved before the end of the weekend, before it might be too late to fix them? Sequel to "Bliind Dating For Demons" and "Nom De Plume." Now Complete!
1. Chapter 1

"So close...so _damn_ close..."

WrestleMania weekend…it should have been the greatest weekend of his wrestling career so far. 14 years…14 long years of training, of hard work and determination, of being told he wasn't good enough, being told he wasn't serious enough, being told he was too _happy_ to be a professional wrestler...14 years leading up to this historic weekend. Every moment leading up to this weekend had been worth it, being unsure if he could handle competing without the safety-net of the mask, the shoulder injury, the months of rehab, the worry that he'd never be able to wrestle on the same level ever again…even Kevin's multiple betrayals…but as the hot water from the shower cascaded down, soothing the aching joints...it was all a harsh reminder to Sami Zayn that he'd given everything he'd had to give _twice_ this weekend, and had come away with nothing but aches and pains both times.

Okay, that wasn't exactly fair.

William Regal entrusting Sami with Shinsuke Nakamura's first match in NXT was a huge honour. Regal had gifted him one hell of a farewell present, and he had been determined to leave NXT on a high.

In a strange, roundabout way, he really _had_.

He'd given Nakamura his absolute **best** , and stood toe-to-toe with the King Of Strong-Style and came away _relatively_ unscathed. Yes, he had lost the match, and he'd probably hear bells ringing in his head for at _least_ a fortnight…but the reception he'd received from the audience afterwards made it impossible to feel like the loser. The _"thank you, Sami"_ chants had reaffirmed everything good about his time in NXT...the incredible matches he'd been involved in, the respect he had earned from the NXT fans, everything he'd given to help put NXT on the map had not only been worth it on a personal level...it had been appreciated by the fans _and_ his peers.

He barely had a chance to cool down from the incredible high of his match and the aftermath before he could only watch on in horror as Bayley lost consciousness to Asuka's cross-face chicken wing. The disappointment in the crowd may have made way for cheers eventually, but Sami couldn't quite echo the sentiment. Bayley's road to the top had almost mirrored Sami's own, and watching his friend lose her title due to referee stoppage brought back bad memories of his own fate as NXT champion.

Bayley tried to keep a brave face on as everybody consoled her, but Sami knew from harsh experience that there were no words that could make her feel any better. Sami had simply drawn her into a hug and let her hide away for just a while, until Carmella arrived to take over Bayley cheer-up duties.

"Be sad today, nobody's gonna dare hold it against you, unless they want their eyes scratched out," Carmella had offered, "...but when we get back to the Performance Centre on Tuesday, we're gonna make sure you're ready for your rematch whenever it happens."

The three had stayed together for the rest of the show, waiting for Finn's showdown with Samoa Joe. Sami hadn't seen Finn since they arrived at the building earlier…Finn had been away all day, tapping into the demon persona and mentally preparing himself for his upcoming war with Joe. Sami wasn't even sure if Finn knew about Bayley's loss, let alone his own…Finn had too much to worry about with Joe anyway, and Sami wouldn't let himself be an unnecessary distraction. There was a very strong possibility that Finn would be fighting for his _life_ tonight, let alone the NXT Title…and when Sami had admitted to the girls that he didn't think he could watch the match alone they had both stayed with him without complaint.

The chainsaw was rather unexpected, all things considered. Sami was half-expecting an angry text from Dean demanding to know when and/or how Finn had stolen his prized chainsaw. Dean certainly wouldn't have given it up so easily, it was practically an heirloom from Terry Funk after all.

It didn't take long for Sami's heart to leap to his throat, as Joe was busted open within a minute of the match starting. Joe was a dangerous enough opponent without bloodlust being a factor. Both Sami and Bayley simultaneously winced as Joe finally seemed to lock in the Coquina Clutch, Sami covering his mouth to avoid shouting expletives in front of the girls. When Finn flipped himself back over the turnbuckles to get the pin, Sami breathed the largest sigh of relief. Finn was still champion...Finn hadn't been choked out...

Finn was okay. He'd _survived_.

If Sami had held on to Finn a little tighter in bed that night out of pure relief, Finn was gracious enough not to mention it. Finn just held Sami as close to his body as he could, letting Sami feel his heartbeat and warmth from his partner.

And now... ** _wow_**. Just opened WrestleMania. Another huge responsibility, but at least this time Sami didn't feel like the responsibility was his alone to bear. Mostly because he was too busy trying to ensure Kevin didn't leave the AT &T Stadium with the Intercontinental Title. He'd taken a lot of punishment in doing so, but knowing it was him that caused Kevin's final downfall in that match was victory enough. There'd be other Intercontinental Title matches...once he'd settled things with Kevin once and for all.

Besides, if anyone truly deserved a WrestleMania Moment, it was Zack Ryder. Sami could appreciate the hard work, effort and patience Ryder had put in, and it was nice to see that sometimes it's all worth it in the end.

He was certainly a better option than the Miz, at any rate.

Sami shivered; he had been so lost in thought that he'd barely noticed the temperature of the shower water had lowered. Sami quickly washed the grime and sweat from the match away before the water temperature became something akin to typical Canadian weather. He'd spent too long gathering wool; the gang was waiting for him in catering.

 _Finn_ was waiting for him in catering.

Sami smiled to himself as the he washed away the last of the suds. He'd feel much better after seeing Finn and the others. WrestleMania weekend wasn't over quite yet, and there was still time for him to make more precious memories. He grabbed the towel and headed back to the lockers, eager to get dressed and meet up with his friends.

* * *

It wasn't difficult picking out his group of friends in the busy catering section. Between Cass towering above everybody (even sitting down) and Becky's bright hair colour, he had no problem making a beeline for the group. Finn was deep in conversation with Becky, and Sami was happy that Finn and Becky had gotten a chance to catch up this weekend. Finn had been so thrilled for his protégé making her big WrestleMania debut that he almost forgot that it was also his own _boyfriend's_ debut on the grandest stage of them all. Becky was the first to see Sami approach, and she smiled warmly at him before gently nudging Finn and pointing delicately in Sami's direction.

Finn's eyes widened slightly, and he was soon up like a shot heading towards Sami. Before he knew it, Finn had his arms wrapped around Sami in a tight hug. Sami sighed happily, loosely draping his arms around Finn's shoulders and hugging his partner right back.

"You're okay, right?" Finn whispered to Sami, slight panic in his tone, "That frog-splash on the ladder…thought he'd broke you in two."

"I'm fine, Finn. Think I'll get away with a few bruises," Sami pulled back slightly to press a gentle kiss on Finn's forehead, "Got my own back, and then some."

"Now I know why you were so worried about my Ladder Match with him," Finn sighed, leaning forward into Sami's embrace, "So proud of you."

"I didn't win, though?"

"You made sure Owens lost, and helped set the standard the rest of the show has to follow," Finn smiled proudly at his partner, "That's nearly as good in my book."

Sami looked at his partner, feeling all giddy inside. "Fair enough then, thank you Finn."

"Hey, Bálor? You gonna hog Zayn all day? He ain't goin' nowhere, let the rest of us get our congrats in."

Sami felt Finn stiffen in his embrace as they heard Enzo calling over. Sami pulled back slightly to look at Finn, who looked a lot less upbeat than he had just a few seconds ago, "You okay there, Finn?"

"Yeah s'fine," Finn did not sound the **least** bit convincing, "C'mon Sami, let's sit down."

Finn kept a tight grip on Sami's arm as he led him over to the table. Sami frowned slightly at his partner, but before he could say anything else he'd been enveloped in a big hug from Bayley and Becky. Sami managed to endure the round of congratulations from his friends with only a minor blush and slight embarrassment.

"Hey, everybody's here now right?" Enzo announced, looking around the table before nodding in approval, "Good, 'cos me and Cass got a huge announcement for you."

Almost everybody's attention went straight to Enzo. Only Finn seemed to notice that Cass had pulled Carmella into a slightly tighter embrace, and that neither seemed to be quite as excited about Enzo's big announcement. Then again, it was hard for **anyone** to be as exuberant about _anything_ compared to Enzo Amore…

"Tomorrow, the big guy and I are gonna make our long awaited debut on Raw."

Most of the group cheered. Finn instead shared a quick look with Carmella, who nodded slightly in his direction. He suddenly understood all too well why Cass and Carmella were holding on to each other as if their life depended on it.

"That's amazin' you guys," Becky was the first to speak up after the brief ruckus died down a little, "You'll drive that crowd crazy tomorrow."

"Yeah, calling you up to deal with the post-WrestleMania crowd, smart move. At least that way they'll cheer _something_ ," Sami grinned over at Enzo, but his grin faltered as he looked over at Cass and Carmella.

 _Oh._

 _Oh_ _ **no**_ _._

The unspoken question was finally brought up. Bayley had moved a little closer to Carmella, placing a hand on her shoulder, "So…uh…you're gonna be with them tomorrow, right?"

Carmella snuffled slightly, wiping her eyes gently before replying, "No…it's just the boys."

"Oh, that sucks," Becky winced, "Can't believe they don't want you all up at the same time. You're perfect together."

"It's fine, really…I know I'm not ready yet," Carmella tried to smile, but her eyes betrayed her true disappointment. Carmella turned to face Bayley, who looked absolutely crestfallen for her friend, "Besides, I promised we'd get you ready for round 2 with Asuka…not letting my best girl down like that."

"Did they just drop this on you today?" Sami asked Cass, mostly because he was more likely to get a straight answer out of him.

"Yeah, we only found out…maybe an hour ago?" Cass replied grimly, "It's tough…been waitin' for the call-up for so long, and now I hafta leave my girl behind for it. Nothin' I can do 'bout it."

"We did our best to convince 'em otherwise," Enzo added, "But no dice."

Sami nodded grimly, briefly turning to look at his partner. Finn hadn't said anything this entire time, and had barely reacted beyond holding Sami's arm tighter, "That's awful…I mean, at least Finn and I got about a couple of month's warning…"

"Not that it made it any easier," Finn's response was barely audible.

"Of course it didn't," Sami agreed, "But…man, not even 24 hours…that's harsh. I feel for you guys."

"At least you'll still have Bay and the Finn-man over there In case you get too down," Enzo noted, with Bayley nodding enthusiastically in agreement, "And between me and the Zayniac over there, we'll keep Cass out of trouble."

"Don't expect me to try and keep Enzo out of trouble, though." Sami grinned brightly as Carmella finally managed a laugh.

"Thanks Samuel," Carmella tried another smile, a little more genuine this time. She looked over at Cass with a reassuring nod, "Our phone bills are gonna rocket 'cause of this."

The group attempted to move on to more uplifting topics. It took Finn a while to relax again, but between Bayley's enthusiastic gushing about the plans for all the girls' big WrestleMania entrances and Becky doing her best to keep everyone in a good mood with bad puns, Finn had soon lessened his death grip on Sami's arm. He'd noticed Sami looking quizzically in his direction a few times during the course of the conversation, but Finn simply smiled as best he could at his partner which seemed to work as a temporary reprieve. It wasn't long before Becky's phone sounded an alert. She checked it quickly, and her eyes widened. It was just about time for her big match.

"That's my summons. Gotta go. Ooh, I can't believe it's almost time," Becky had to stop and take a few deep breaths, "Aww, am I really ready for this? Yeah, course I am. Ha. Y'all gonna wish me luck?"

"Like you really need it," Bayley smiled brightly, giving her fellow Horsewoman a big hug, "You'll ace it out there."

"Right, course I will. Okay," Becky exhaled one last time before standing up, "Headin' off for final warm ups…then it's on…uh, Fergal, any last minute words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated right about now."

Finn blinked in surprise at being addressed, but when he saw Becky's pleading expression he quickly stood up and walked over to his former pupil, "Hey, you. You'll be great, trust me…I've got all the faith in the world in you. All of us, we know you're ready for this. You've earned this moment, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Becky nodded firmly, before Finn brought her in for a quick hug, "Right, well, things can't possibly go wrong after a speech like that. Thanks Fergal. For everything."

"Hey, I only helped you get started," Finn smiled softly, "Everything else, all you. So, so proud of you. Now go win that shiny new Women's title."

Becky nodded again, smiling in return. With a quick wave, she headed off to make her final preparations. Finn sighed softly, returning to his seat beside Sami.

"She'll be fine, don't worry about her," Sami whispered to Finn, who had almost immediately cuddled in a little closer to Sami, "Is that what's been bothering you? Worried about your star pupil?"

Finn shook his head against Sami's shoulder, and a slight sniffle aside he remained quiet. He was relieved when Sami held on to him just that little bit tighter, relieved that Sami wasn't questioning why he was suddenly so clingy.

"Right, we gonna go catch the match?" Bayley clapped her hands enthusiastically, "I've been looking forward to seeing this all weekend."

"…could you all go on ahead?" Sami asked, not looking away from Finn, "Just want a quick word with Finn."

 _Oh, damn_ , Finn sighed sadly as he was left alone with Sami…of course he'd noticed something was up.

"You've been really distant with everyone up until now, and you barely noticed Becky was panicking a bit until she said anything to you," Sami's voice quivered slightly, the worry evident in his voice, "Is something bothering you? Did one of us say something wrong? Was it something _I_ did?"

"Sami…no, it's nothing you did. Please don't think that," Finn struggled to formulate the words, exhaustion suddenly threatening to overcome him, "Just something Enzo said…it's silly…could we not talk about this here?"

Sami frowned, "…there **is** something we need to talk about, though?"

"Yeah…" Finn bit his bottom-lip, "Uhm…you don't have anything else scheduled for today? No interviews or meet-ups or anything?"

"Nothing scheduled, no," Sami looked at his partner curiously, "Pretty much just hanging around to see the ladies kill it in the ring, and to see whatever outlandish costume you'll be wearing in Hunter's entrance."

"So…nothing work related, then?"

"Nothing work related, no," Sami confirmed, worry still etched in his voice, "Finn…is there a reason you're asking that?"

"…do you think we could leave early?" Finn murmured, so quietly to ensure that only Sami would hear, "Like…right about now?"

"Now? But…you can't miss Becky's big moment, you just told her how proud you were of her and everything," Sami didn't even bother hiding his surprise, "She'd be _crushed_ if she knew you weren't watching! What could be so important that you'd even think about missing **that**!?"

Finn sighed, "…yeah, you're right. Sorry…of course I can't miss that. God, that was selfish of me to even ask."

"Okay, hold on a second," Sami had taken out his phone, starting to compose a text, "I'll make you a deal. Hunter's probably busy getting ready for his match with Reigns…probably won't want to be disturbed. I'll shoot him a text to check if we can leave, and until we get a response we'll go and watch Becky's big moment, okay?"

Finn took a second to think about Sami's offer, "Okay, that…that sounds good, yes."

"However, the second we're back at our hotel room, you're going to tell me exactly what's going on in that head of yours. Not gonna lie, I'm really worried right now…about you, about us…not like you to clam up like this."

Finn dropped his head, shame filling him for making Sami worry like this, "I'm sorry…it's your big weekend and I'm ruining it…"

"Finn, it's not just my weekend. It's all of ours," Sami drew Finn in for a tight hug, Finn immediately reciprocating. The familiar scent and warmth immediately calming Finn down, "It's fine. Whatever the problem is, I'll do whatever I can to help you, okay? Chin-up, let's go watch your girl shine out there."

* * *

The match was just as good as expected, but everyone watching on the monitors backstage let out a groan of despair when it came down to Ric Flair's interference being the game changer. Sasha tried her hardest to break free of his grip, but Becky just couldn't hold on in Charlotte's Figure-8 any longer. Finn cursed under his breath, the disappointment palpable in the air. Sami noticed his partner's displeasure, and quickly wrapped a comforting arm around Finn's waist.

"Okay, I don't want to rag on a legend or anything…" Bayley sounded about as angry as she ever got, "…but I'm so annoyed! Charlotte's better than that! She doesn't need anyone's help to win matches…how long is she gonna let her dad drag her down like that?"

"For as long as it means she keeps that title, I guess," Carmella shook her head, "I know you have all the respect in the world for Charlotte…but looks like the fame has gone to her head something fierce."

"Yeah…the Flair thing sucks…but such a great match, though!" Sami smiled softly, "I hope this is the start of something really great for the division. Becky was great, wasn't she Finn?"

"She was amazing Sami…all three of them were," Finn's voice wavered, "Did you see Becky's eye…looked like she caught a nasty blow."

"Yeah, I noticed," Sami grimly confirmed, "You want to make sure she's okay before we go?"

"…yeah, 'course I do," Finn pursed his lips; "Hunter hasn't got back to you yet, has he?"

Sami began to check his phone, but before he could confirm or deny Finn's question, a booming voice echoed from behind them.

"Zayn! Bálor! A word!"

Sami and Finn both grimaced at the tone of Hunter's voice. They hurried over towards their boss, fearing the worst. He didn't look angry, but you never could tell exactly _which_ Hunter you would be dealing with at any given time.

Hunter waited until they had approached. He addressed Finn first, his tone softening to one of concern, "Zayn says you're not feeling too good? Bad enough to request to leave early?"

"…yeah, maybe all the excitement of the weekend has caught up to me…or maybe something I ate? Feeling a bit woozy. Unless you really need us here…"

"It's fine, you and Zayn can head off whenever," Hunter pulled out an electronic organiser, making a few notes, "I need you to be in top shape heading back to Florida, so go on and get as much rest as you can before the flight tomorrow."

"Thank you sir, I really appreciate this," Finn hoped his sigh of relief went unnoticed.

Hunter nodded, before turning to address Sami, "Zayn, you take care of him for me, you hear?"

Sami nodded firmly, "Always."

"Know I can count on you," Hunter clasped a hand to Sami's shoulder, "Right, I'll let everyone know you're leaving early. You both did great this weekend, really proud of both of you."

"Thank you sir, we really appreciate this," Sami shook Hunter's hand, before the COO headed back towards his private suite…back to getting ready to face Roman.

Finn and Sami both let out a sigh of relief, the tension of facing their boss fading at his approval.

"Didn't think he'd actually take the time to give us the news in person…thought he'd have nothing but Reigns on the brain," Sami mused, "Wow, that's really humbling, actually."

"Yeah…" Finn agreed solemnly, "…think we can go see Becky now? Need to make sure she's okay before…"

"Before we can go make sure _you're_ okay, yes," Sami slipped his hand into Finn's, giving the Irishman's hand a comforting squeeze, "Let's go to Medical, then."


	2. Chapter 2

Becky sighed softly to herself, mostly in disappointment. It was bad enough that she had been forced to submit to Charlotte's Figure 8, her legs were absolutely killing her…but then she was whisked immediately to medical to get her injured eye seen to. More time away from her friends when she desperately needed some comforting.

Then Fergal and Sami had come in, just as the doctor was finishing up. Becky had to fight the urge to apologize to her mentor, biting her lip to prevent herself from saying sorry for letting everybody down. It took a second glance at the pair to realize something was amiss, and it wasn't necessarily because of her loss tonight. Fergal looked absolutely exhausted, and Sami was clearly worried about him.

"You guys okay?" Becky had asked, hopping down off the med-table and hurrying over to the boys, "No offence, but you look worse than I feel?"

"Hey, no, we're…" Finn began to relay some platitudes, but a sharp 'ahem' from Sami cut him off right quick, "…well, not exactly _fine_. We just wanted to check in with you. Nasty shiner, that…how you feelin'?"

Finn closed the distance between himself and Becky, quickly drawing his former pupil into a tight hug.

"Och, I'm…bitterly disappointed, yes," Becky sighed, leaning into Finn's embrace, "Gave it my all, though. No regrets on my end."

"Good, because you were **amazing** ," Sami fondly patted Becky on the back, "Been far too long since the fans were treated to a serious Women's wrestling match at WrestleMania. You _should_ be proud of yourself."

"T'anks Sami…I 'ppreciate that," Becky lifted her head off of Finn's shoulder, "So, you gunna tell me what's up with you two? Yer faces are drippin' like a wet weekend."

Sami sighed, shaking his head slightly. He decided to leave this one in Finn's ballpark, "Finn's not feeling too good."

Becky gasped, pulling back from Finn and inspecting him carefully, "What? Aww, no, has all the hustle and bustle of this weekend got to you? You were doin' so well!"

"Yeah…between that and my match with Joe…my nerves are all shot," Finn shyly admitted, "Hunter said Sami and I could leave early…"

"Oh…" Becky frowned, "Yeah, you did seem out of it earlier…like you _just_ managed to watch Sami's match and then, bam, battery expired."

"Yeah, Finn's certainly not the Energizer Bunny today…" Sami felt like all he had done lately was sigh, "Hopefully he'll be okay once we get back to the hotel."

"Well, don't let me hold you guys back any longer," Becky put on as brave a face as she could manage, "Go on, and take care of each other. I'll go hang out with the gang for the rest of the show."

"Thanks Rebecca," Finn gave Becky one last hug before moving away.

"Could you let them all know we're away?" Sami asked, as he too gave Becky a hug, "Didn't get a chance to tell them we were leaving."

"Sure, no problem!" Becky nodded determinedly, "Now shoo, go get better. **Both** of you."

* * *

"There she is!"

Becky couldn't keep the slight smile off her face as she saw Bayley rushing towards her, Carmella following at a more sedate pace. She braced herself for impact, knowing Bayley's tendencies towards hugging…so she was a bit surprised when Bayley stopped short of her, a huge gasp the only forthcoming reaction.

"Wow, ouch," Bayley winced, "Heck of a battle scar, there."

"What, this?" Becky stuck her tongue out at Bayley, "Hah, this is nothin'. You'd get worse than this on a typical Saturday night out in Ireland."

"Oh, well, that bodes well for our next tour there…" Bayley shuddered.

"She's kidding, Bay," Carmella shook her head fondly at her best friend, "Killed it out there, Miss Lynch. Congrats. Cass and Enzo also offer their kudos. They're off gettin' themselves ready for the boss' big entrance later."

"Yes!" Bayley grinned again, finally engulfing Becky in a big hug, "I can't believe I got to see you guys out there! At _WrestleMania!_ My friends!"

"Yeah, uh, speaking of our friends," Carmella looked around, frowning slightly, "Weren't Samuel and Finn with you? They ran off, like, immediately after you were taken to the med-bay."

"Oh…yeah," Becky sighed as Bayley stepped back, "They said they were leaving early."

" _What_?" Bayley threw her hands up in the air in surprise, "But…isn't Finn supposed to be part of Hunter's entrance? Did they say why?"

"I 'unno…Sami said Fergal wasn't feeling well…but…" Becky ran her hand through her hair in thought, "I got the feeling it's something more personal than that? Sami looked _really_ scared over whatever was bothering Fergal…and Fergal was just fine until Sami joined us earlier…"

Carmella pursed her lips, looking away from the other girls, "Oh."

Bayley looked over at Carmella, "…Carm, do you know something about what's going on?"

"…maybe?" Carmella offered, "I don't know if it's my place to say, though. I think they're really gonna need _this_ night together…tonight's kind of a big deal, really."

There was about a second's pause before comprehension dawned.

"Oh…" Becky frowned, "Of course. I shoulda realised…damn, no wonder Fergal's an emotional wreck right now."

"No wonder you and Finn seemed to be on the same wavelength earlier, Carm…" Bayley added sadly, wrapping an arm around Carmella and Becky to pull them in for a group hug, "Aww…my poor boys and girls."

* * *

It should have been the greatest weekend of his life.

Finn Bálor had come to Dallas and had experienced one of the most successful weekends of his entire wrestling career. He and Joe had put on a blinder of a match, and Finn had scraped a victory out of near-defeat. He would have to remind himself to thank Sami for forcing him to rewatch WrestleMania VIII again…and maybe pen a thank you tweet to Bret Hart for coming up with that ever-successful counter.

It wasn't until he got backstage and found his friends huddled together that the immediate high of victory collapsed in of itself. Bayley was no longer the NXT Women's Champion…Sami hadn't been able to defeat Shinsuke Nakamura in his farewell match…they had both put on brave faces for Finn's victory, but Bayley's hug was far less enthusiastic than usual, and they both knew it. Carmella quietly led Bayley away after that, the events of the day catching up with the former champion. Finn had started to apologise for not checking on them sooner, but Sami had merely pulled Finn in as close as he could, whispering thanks into the crook of Finn's neck that he was alright…and deeply entrenched in Sami's embrace, Finn could honestly say…yes, he _was_ alright. And if Sami wanted to hold him closer than usual in bed that night, Finn was more than happy to oblige him. Sami's head rested over Finn's chest, letting Finn's heartbeat soothe and lull the Canadian to sleep.

On Saturday, Finn had a Q&A session to attend for Axxess. He knew Sami would be watching, so that was enough to help him keep calm despite the turn-out. When asked about which WWE Superstar he'd like to face, he had called out Kevin Owens in particular. Finn's anger at Kevin injuring Sami the previous year still bubbled dangerously close to the surface, and when Kevin had gate-crashed the Q&A it took all of Finn's willpower not to attack him. Luckily, both Bayley and Enzo had appeared to help diffuse the situation.

Finn couldn't help but be hyper for WrestleMania itself. Two of his favourite people in the world were scheduled to perform, and he was so proud of both Sami and Becky getting to live their dream by wrestling at the granddaddy of 'em all. Although he swore to himself he would _never_ be so flippant around Sami for him worrying about being in dangerous match types ever again…watching his partner being bounced around on those ladders damn near broke Finn. The pure relief that coursed through Finn's body at seeing Sami walking towards them more than made up for the fact Sami hadn't been able to win the Intercontinental Title. His partner had survived, and everything seemed _perfect._

Until…

 _"He ain't goin' nowhere."_

 _"Zayn, you take care of him for me, you hear?" "Always."_

It _should_ have been the greatest weekend of his life, and yet all Finn could think about was how much he had ruined it. Not just for himself…but for his friends…and for Sami. The taxi ride back to the hotel had been one of the most awkward experiences Finn could recall in recent memory. That was Finn's fault too…he'd chosen to stare resolutely at his lap whilst trying desperately to ignore Sami's concerned, crumpled-up face. Sami had eventually sighed in defeat, letting his head fall backwards on to the head-rest…resigned to the fact that Finn wasn't going to open up until they were safely locked away in their hotel room.

And now Finn found himself in the bathroom, unable to meet his own gaze in the mirror. He was hiding, stalling for time, he admitted as much to himself. Sami deserved answers…who else would have voluntarily left _WrestleMania_ early for his partner's sake? The answers were all jumbled in Finn's head, all stumbling over each other until Finn had to fight the urge to scream…the bathroom door may have been locked, but the merest sound of distress would probably have Sami Helluva Kicking the door down to get to his partner.

Finn sighed…he knew he wasn't being fair to Sami. It had taken far too long for them to get their shit together and get themselves together…Finn had never met anybody who cared about _him_ as much as Sami, and here he was being a coward in the bathroom, making Sami wait and only increasing his worry…Finn looked down at the small vial in his hand, the remnants of his original plans for the evening. It had seemed so simple earlier…Sami was putting himself through Hell in a multi-person ladder match and his back was bound to be all in knots, thus the small bottle of warming oil and a quick crash-course on muscular massage.

It took all of Finn's willpower not to throw the vial at the wall. Yet another thing to add to the 'things ruined by Finn Bálor, 2016' pile.

Finn finally managed to raise his head, taking a final look at himself in the mirror. The man staring back looked like someone about to be led to the electric chair. Finn couldn't even manage a brave face for his partner…with one last deep breath, Finn turned and unlocked the door, still not ready to face Sami…but unable to bear the thought of letting him down for any longer.

The first thing Finn saw as he left the bathroom was the increasingly familiar sight of Sami kneeling by the bed, head bowed in prayer. Sami _never_ prayed for himself, selfishness being a huge no-no in the Muslim religion, so Finn could only assume that Sami was praying for _Finn himself_. Nobody outside of his immediate family had ever shown such an amount of concern for Finn, and once again Finn felt his stomach drop at how badly he had treated Sami all day.

"Hey you," Sami's soft tone caught Finn by surprise, he quickly refocused on him. Sami hadn't moved from the floor, but was casting a worried look in Finn's direction, "Though you'd got lost in there."

"Lost in thought, yeah…" Finn admitted, moving over to sit down on the edge of the bed, "God, Sami, I've really fucked this whole weekend up for you and I'm **so** sorry."

"Finn…the only thing I'm remotely upset about is that you've made me wait all this time to even begin to tell me what's wrong," Sami stood up slowly, the remaining aches of the ladder match making themselves quite at home, "Nothing that could have happened this weekend could even compare to making sure you're okay, Finn. Please…let me help you?"

Finn choked back a sob as Sami sat down beside him, and almost immediately Finn threw his arms around Sami. The onslaught caught Sami off-guard, and before he knew it Finn was trying to kiss him. The desperation was palpable, and Finn had nearly brushed their lips together before two hands gripped his shoulders tightly and pushed him backwards with considerable force. Finn could only wail as Sami held him back, not helped by seeing the angriest look he'd ever seen on Sami's face. The vial of warming oil rolled helplessly up the bed, as Finn lost all control over his grip.

"Finn! What…are you seriously trying to distract me with _yourself_ at a time like this?" Sami tried to take a few calming breaths, fighting the urge to shake some sense into Finn…that wouldn't help this situation _at all_ , "What are you _thinking?"_

Finn closed his eyes tightly, feeling the tears beginning to manifest under the sheer disappointment he was receiving from Sami, "I'm sorry! I…I just wanted this weekend to end on a good note, and I…wasn't thinking…"

"That's the problem! I don't _know_ what you're thinking because _you're_ evading the issue!" Sami let go of Finn's shoulders, burying his head in his own hands in frustration, "Why, Finn? Why can't you tell me what's wrong? Why won't you let me help you?! After tomorrow…Finn, please do not let tomorrow happen without letting me help you! I swear, whatever it is, I'll be there to…"

"You _won't_ be there, though!" Finn cried out, "You'll be on RAW with Enzo and Cass and Corbin and I'll be stuck on a plane heading back to Orlando!"

 _Silence._

Finn felt the bed shift slightly, before two arms gently wrapped around him. He didn't know when he had started shaking, nor when the tears had began falling freely…and he didn't care. Sami was holding him and hadn't immediately rejected Finn's fears as nonsense.

"Enzo said you weren't going anywhere…he was right," Finn's voice had drained of all emotion, "It's me who's leaving…"

"Finn…"

Finn continued, now that he had started there was no stopping the flood of fears plaguing his mind, "Tomorrow…you're moving on to bigger and better things, and I'm not going to be there for you…you're not gonna be there for me anymore…it's like…the end…"

"Finn, no, it's nowhere close to the end…" Sami began to gently stroke Finn's hair, "We managed fine the past few weeks, didn't we?"

"S'not the same, though…" Finn sniffed, tucking his head into the crook of Sami's neck, desperate for the familiar scent to soothe him, "You still had obligations in NXT…you were still around a bit…and now…now you're leaving NXT behind…leaving _me_ behind."

There it was. The admission Finn hadn't wanted to make.

"You know what I heard earlier…?" Finn whispered, almost not wanting to continue on, but the floodgates had burst and nothing was stopping the rivers from flowing, "Apollo's getting called up tomorrow too."

"That's…" Sami sighed, already sensing where this was going, "…Good for him, I guess?"

"I don't want to sound disrespectful; Uhaa's a great guy and everything…" Finn swallowed back another sob, "But how is _he_ considered ready to be called up and _not_ _ **me**_ _."_

"I can't answer that question, Finn, I'm sorry…" Sami could feel Finn beginning to shake again, and held him just a little bit tighter to himself.

"I thought NXT would be enough for me…being it's champion, it's face…" Finn sighed, "I thought I could carry on where you left off…thought of you being proud of me for _being_ NXT was the only thing keeping me going knowing tomorrow was coming."

"You know how proud I am of you, Finn," Sami soothed, rocking Finn back and forth gently, "You never need to question that."

"…when Joe had me in the Coquina Clutch…" Finn paused as Sami shivered slightly, obviously remembering seeing the event in question, "...I thought that was it, y'know. Felt the life flash before my eyes and everything…thought I was going to let everyone down…"

Finn paused, pulling back from Sami and looking him directly in the eyes. Sami nearly broke down himself at seeing Finn's tear-tracked face, eyes red and puffy. Never before had Sami seen Finn look so _broken_ …

"…I managed to escape, yeah," Finn gulped, "…but I nearly didn't."

Sami managed a smile for Finn, "Yeah, it was a close call…was really worried for you for a minute…"

"No, you don't understand Sami…" Finn took a deep breath, "I nearly let Joe choke me out on _purpose_."

Finn felt all the air leave the room in one solid gasp. Sami's eyes had widened in shock, confusion evident in his face.

"…why, Finn?" Sami eventually managed to ask, "Why would you _deliberately_ want him to hurt you like that?"

"It wasn't that I wanted him to hurt me…" Finn moved to take Sami's hands in his own, and was relieved that Sami didn't put up any resistance, "For a fleeting second, I was thinking…'if I wasn't NXT champion, would they have a reason to keep me here?' Keep me away from _you_?"

Sami gasped at the admission, "…you nearly gave up being champion…being the face of NXT…for…"

"…for the _slight_ chance that we'd be together on the main roster sooner, yeah…I was this close to giving all that up to be with **you**."

Finn paused to let the implications set in. Sami had gripped on to Finn's hands tighter, unable to formulate a response. Finn leaned forward slightly, catching Sami's gaze again before continuing.

"I nearly gave that all up, Sami, and I wouldn't have regretted it if I had. For a moment, I didn't care if I was letting people down, letting everyone at NXT down…all I cared about was us being together sooner and that fucking **terrifies** me Sami. All my career, ever since I started training all I've cared about is being the _best_ in that ring, but now there's something that's **just** as important to me…maybe even _more_ so…and I'm scared that someday I might have to choose between them. I'm scared because I **know** that I'd choose you over what has been my entire _life_ for so long."

"Finn…that's…a lot to take in, honestly…" Sami shook his head in disbelief, "You didn't, though…"

"No, I didn't…and I'm still not sure if I made the right choice," Finn closed his eyes, "…but I know that you'd **never** forgive me if I just gave up the title like that. That's what made me keep going…keep fighting…keep being NXT Champion. I have to keep being the Champion of the brand you put your heart and soul into making _great_. Throwing away the title like that would've disgraced everything you fought for…I couldn't do that."

"Oh, Finn," Sami could feel himself starting to well up, "You totally did the right thing, believe me. I just…wow…I'm overwhelmed. In a good way, I think?"

"Sorry…I thought I'd be able to bury all those feelings away, but…" Finn shrugged slightly, "I think you deserve to know it all…since I made you feel like shite all day."

"Finn, all I wanted was for you to be okay," Sami replied firmly, "That's all I ever want…for us to be fine. And we will be…I know it's going to be rough going, especially the first few weeks…but, hey, it's 2016…we have FaceTime, Snapchat…even plain old phone conversations! If you have to call me every single day, you do that. If I have to see your face at least fifty times a day or more, you'll let me do that. I'm leaving NXT in the best hands I can, and I'm so happy knowing you'll do everything you can to keep making NXT amazing."

Finn sniffed, a slight smile beginning to creep on to his face, "…and you'll be improving the standards of the main roster tenfold just by being there."

Sami nodded, "This is **our** time, Finn. It might not be easy, but we will get through this. You know why? Because _we are worth it_. All these fears, these doubts…we wouldn't be having them if this wasn't so important. We have each other and nothing is ever gonna come between us as long as we keep fighting for us. You…you're my everything Finn Bálor, and I will do anything and everything in my power to make you happy. Just like I know you'd do the same for me."

"Sami…" Finn chuckled derisively to himself, "God, I'm a bit of an idiot, aren't I?"

"My idiot, though," Sami finally managed a genuine smile, seeing Finn begin to come out of his funk.

"Yours…" Finn agreed, moving slightly closer to Sami but pausing just short of his personal space, "Uh…is it okay if I kiss you now?"

Sami's goofy, lopsided grin was just about an answer enough, "I think we could both use some kisses, yes…"

Finn nodded and closed the gap between the two, gently wrapping his hand around the back of Sami's head to pull him in. The kiss was painfully gentle, neither man feeling able to deepen the kiss further than that. The contact was enough, a reminder they would still have each other even after tomorrow. They remained close together for far too long, and yet never long enough. It was only exhaustion that forced them to part, as Sami had to fight the urge to yawn right in Finn's face.

"Can we lay down now?" Sami asked gently, gently brushing his hand across Finn's cheek, "I just want to hold you as close as possible for as long as I can."

"Yeah…yeah, that's all I want right now too…"

Sami nodded, taking Finn's hand and moving them up the bed. Sami stopped about midway up the bed, a look of confusion overcoming him as his hand fell on top of something on the bed. Finn gulped nervously as Sami held up the vial of warming oil, inspecting it curiously.

"I…" Finn chuckled nervously, "…my plan for the evening before _emotions_ happened was to give you a full body massage…rub away all the pains from the ladder match."

"Huh…" Sami placed the vial down on the bedside table, "Would you be terribly offended if we didn't do that tonight?"

"God, no," Finn laughed in relief, "Have a rain check on that one, for sure."

"I'll look forward to it…" Sami finally let the yawn escape, lying down on the pillow and beckoning Finn to join him, "C'mere, my Finn."

Finn immediately tucked himself into Sami's embrace, a mirror of how they lay together after TakeOver. Finn's head rested on Sami's chest, and at least for a little while…he was home again. Tomorrow was another day, but tonight the man who meant more to him than the world was cocooning him from it, and that was all he could ask for. Finn felt a gentle kiss on the top of his head, as Sami made himself comfortable.

"G'night, _ya hayati_ ," Sami whispered to Finn, the language unfamiliar to the Irishman, but the sentiment behind the words was anything but.

" _M'fhíorghrá_. Good night, Sami."


End file.
